Ulrike Franke

Ulrike Franke is a documentary filmmaker and part-time Professor of Documentary Film (auteur film) at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne. She founded the production company 'loekenfranke' in 1996 and has worked as an author, director, and producer since 1998. Her academic career began in 2005, and she specializes in documentary filmmaking and multimedia video installations.

Education:
Studied theatre, film and television, Romance languages, and art history at the University of Cologne. Received vocational directing grant from Filmstiftung NRW (1992).

Research Focus:
Her work explores industrial transformation, cultural identity, and social change through documentary film and multimedia installations. Key themes include globalization impacts, urban development, labor histories, and cross-cultural narratives, often using collaborative approaches with theater groups.

Awards & Honors:

• Best Film Award at Hot Docs Toronto (2007)
• Best Film Award at One World Prague
• Grimme Prize (2009, 2016)
• German Film Prize nomination (2003)

Creative Practice:
Collaborates extensively with theater groups like Rimini Protokoll and Schauspiel Bochum on video installations addressing industrial heritage and spatial narratives. Her production company develops socially engaged documentary projects examining German reunification, labor economics, and cultural memory.